Eat WHITE Rice

I posted in this forum many months ago that you are better off eating white rice than brown because pesticides (which may be carcinogens and, as they're mostly neurotoxins, are speculated to contribute to the development of Parkinson's Disease, more common in agricultural areas) found mostly on the hull of the rice are stripped off when rice is milled from being brown rice into white rice. Now, more reason to eat white rice. Consumer Reports writes about arsenic toxicity being a problem with rice, the arsenic coming from both natural (it's indiginous to much soil) and man made sources. Here as well, the arsenic is mostly concentrated in the hull that's milled off when the rice is turned into white rice.

What about organic brown rice? Not necessarily better. Arsenic is found naturally in many soils and is thought to concentrate in the hull of the rice because of the way rice is cultivated, in flooded fields that create prolonged exposure of the hull to minerals found in the soil that leech into the water. And it tastes like crap.

I hate brown rice. When I was doing my brown rice thing I had to make it fresh every day for me to even attempt eating it.

Now I just eat non-whole gran carbs and I just eat green vegetables, whole almonds and mix insoluble fiber into my gatoraid when im at home. I would not suggest doing the gatoraid thing during a match obviously lol.

For what it's worth, it looks like all kinds of rice sampled contained less arsenic per serving than the federal limit on arsenic per liter of drinking water, though many exceeded the most protective state limit (New Jersey's).

It will still contain some arsenic that is naturally occuring in the soil. But, I know of no evidence that either natural arsenic, or arsenic applied through pesticides, concentrates in the husk of the brown rice.

It will still contain some arsenic that is naturally occuring in the soil. But, I know of no evidence that either natural arsenic, or arsenic applied through pesticides, concentrates in the husk of the brown rice.

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Couple things:

1. According to the CR article the problem is not as much arsenic that naturally occurs in the soil as it is human arsenic pollution which accumulates in soil and water:

Though arsenic can enter soil or water due to weathering of arsenic-containing minerals in the earth, humans are more to blame than Mother Nature for arsenic contamination in the U.S. today, according to the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The U.S. is the world’s leading user of arsenic, and since 1910 about 1.6 million tons have been used for agricultural and industrial purposes, about half of it only since the mid-1960s. Residues from the decades of use of lead-arsenate insecticides linger in agricultural soil today, even though their use was banned in the 1980

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Being in the soil doesn't mean it's natural, and being organic doesn't mean it's free of pollution.

2. The Consumer Reports article also says this:

Though brown rice has nutritional advantages over white rice, it is not surprising that it might have higher levels of arsenic, which concentrates in the outer layers of a grain. The process of polishing rice to produce white rice removes those surface layers, slightly reducing the total arsenic and inorganic arsenic in the grain.

In brown rice, only the hull is removed. Arsenic concentrations found in the bran that is removed during the milling process to produce white rice can be 10 to 20 times higher than levels found in bulk rice grain.

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There's no citation for that fact but it certainly sounds like arsenic levels will be higher in brown rice, and the chart included with the CR article seems to bear that out.

For what it's worth, it looks like all kinds of rice sampled contained less arsenic per serving than the federal limit on arsenic per liter of drinking water, though many exceeded the most protective state limit (New Jersey's).

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Yes and I certainly drink more grams water than I eat rice. Perhaps 50-100 times more. So I am not that worried.

They used to use arsenic and arsenic derivatives as a agricultural pesticide/insecticide for well over half a century.

Lets say for 40 years of inorganic arsenic derivatives were used in the same fields owned by some farmer. Add another 15 year of less-harmful-but-still-harmful organic* arsenic derivatives were used afterwards. How much would 50-60 years of continued use impact the soil? Would it accumulate given arsenic is a base compound and doesn't break down or would it dilute and get dispersed at a fast enough rate?

When it comes to diabetes, and whole grains such as brown rice, something interesting and surprisingly that I've seen several times now in those that test their blood sugar levels after eating different foods, is that whole grains raise blood glucose levels just as high as the white refined version.

Millet, quinoa, oats, sorghum, bulghur, spelt, barley, cornmeal–While they don’t trigger appetite nor autoimmune diseases like wheat does (oat can in some people), they still pose a significant carbohydrate load sufficient to generate the other phenomena like excessive insulin and blood sugar responses. The grams of carbohydrate of these grains are virtually identical to wheat: 43.5 grams per 1/2 cup (uncooked). The exceptions are barley, which is especially loaded with carbohydrates: 104 grams per 1/2 cup, while oats are lower: 33 g per 1/2 cup.

It’s all a matter of degree. Some people who are exceptionally carbohydrate-sensitive (like me) can have diabetic blood sugars with just slow-cooked oatmeal or quinoa. Others aren’t quite so sensitive and can get away with eating them.

People with high blood sugars (100 mg/dl or greater) can be very sensitive to the blood sugar effects of these grain carbohydrates. The best marker of all are small LDL particles measured on a lipoprotein panel, such as NMR. Small LDL particles are exquisitely sensitive to your carbohydrate intake: small LDL gets worse with excessive sensitivity to grain carbohydrates, gets better with reduction or elimination.

Flagrant small LDL, in combination with low HDL, high triglycerides, and pre-diabetic or diabetic patterns all develop from carbohydrate indulgence, along with “wheat belly.”

Don’t believe it? The prove it to yourself: Go to Walmart and buy an inexpensive glucose meter and check your blood sugar one hour after eating. You can gauge the health of these foods by observing the blood sugar increases. (Small LDL closely parallels blood sugar rises.)

The grain that fails to trigger any of these abnormal patterns? Flaxseed. Flaxseed is entirely protein, fiber, and healthy oils, with virtually no digestible starches. In fact, flaxseed is one of the few foods that reduces the quantity of small LDL particles.

...So we now have the world’s worst epidemic of diabetes ever witnessed since humans have walked on earth. Some “experts” argue that it’s genetics, it’s the overconsumption of Coca Cola and Mountain Dew. Others argue that it’s your physical inactivity, lives spent behind desks, looking at computer screens.

I personally became diabetic 20 years ago at a time when I was jogging 3-5 miles per day, cutting my fat, avoiding junk foods and soft drinks, and eating plenty of “healthy whole grains.” I wasn’t physically inactive nor did I indulge in junk carbohydrates. But I became diabetic. I believe this is the same situation experienced by millions, the people who are physically active, avoid junk and fast foods, and try to eat “healthy whole grains.”

20 years later, I exercise less intensively, don’t restrict my fat, and eat NO “healthy whole grains” like those made of wheat. My HbA1c: 4.8%, fasting glucose 84 mg/dl—on no drugs. I am no longer diabetic....

3. Consumer Reports has been disputed often enough in the past. For instance, in the past, their wine ratings were not done in blind tests by a panel, but by one guy who knows what he's tasting and could have his own biases/political connections like everyone else in the wine world. I've had problems with some of the info they've posted in their sunscreen, hair care and skin care articles as well. They are a good source for basic info as a jumping off point to more research, but I don't take them as the last word/only word on anything anymore.

pvaudio
a number of studies, including one from Baylor about 5 years ago, and one from Belgium, demonstrate that drinking unfiltered coffee does indeed raise cholesterol, as much as 8 percent. Cafestrol, a potent elevator of cholesterol by virtue of a gastrointestinal mechanism, is removed from coffee by paper filters (along with some of the oils, unfortunately, that add some flavor).

pvaudio
a number of studies, including one from Baylor about 5 years ago, and one from Belgium, demonstrate that drinking unfiltered coffee does indeed raise cholesterol, as much as 8 percent. Cafestrol, a potent elevator of cholesterol by virtue of a gastrointestinal mechanism, is removed from coffee by paper filters (along with some of the oils, unfortunately, that add some flavor).

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so drinking coarse grind coffee made in a french press is bad for you?

There is so much contradicting advice. My doctor told me to treat rice like sugar and go for wheat instead. This is also the advice many of my relatives have gotten. Now I read somewhere that wheat puts a higher digestive load on the body causing insulin resistance and rice is better.

There is so much contradicting advice. My doctor told me to treat rice like sugar and go for wheat instead. This is also the advice many of my relatives have gotten. Now I read somewhere that wheat puts a higher digestive load on the body causing insulin resistance and rice is better.

Nothing better to eat in one plate: puertorrican red beans and white rice, sweet plantain (amarillitos) and avocado (aguacate). To drink, a nice, cold lemonade sweetened with brown sugar.
PS: You can bring on some tostones or mofongo too.

There is so much contradicting advice. My doctor told me to treat rice like sugar and go for wheat instead. This is also the advice many of my relatives have gotten. Now I read somewhere that wheat puts a higher digestive load on the body causing insulin resistance and rice is better.

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Careful, you could be gluten-allergic. A lot of people here are, and the symptoms can be pretty indirect at times, so it's not evident. I am and wish I could move to rice and cut wheat altogether.